Future Fundraising Now

What fundraising does for donors

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by

Jeff Brooks
in

Does fundraising exist to produce revenue?

Yes, but it does a lot more than that.

Fundraising also exists to improve the lives of donors. And, as the Passionate Giving blog says at Donors Need To Give More Than You Need the Money!, maybe that factor is more important than the revenue it raises.

Here’s some of what giving does for givers:


  • Giving subdues the power of money
  • Giving blesses the giver
  • Giving transforms lives

The psychological and spiritual benefits of giving are incredible.

I think fundraising would be very different if more of us believed in its power to change donors’ lives. We’d be less hesitant, more bold. And we’d enjoy what we do more.

    Comments

    2 responses to “What fundraising does for donors”

    1. Karen Luttrell Avatar
      Karen Luttrell

      Great point!!! Marketing is an exchange of value that leaves all parties better off than before the exchange. As a marketer supporting the fundraisers who make face-to-face asks, it’s my job to understand the value to all parties. What I learned working with a great group of fundraisers at a Canadian women’s organization is that by connecting donors with the means to have real positive impact on the people and world around them, we are providing a valuable service to donors. Who doesn’t want to change the world for the better? But it takes more than money. It takes money and specific program expertise and connections to the right partner organizations and knowledge of the populations that most need the hand up and so on. Fundraisers are offering all of that to donors, and it’s very valuable! That’s the core value you can offer your donors, and then benefits such as recognition, and PR for corporate sponsors, can be the icing on the cake.

    2. Karen Luttrell Avatar
      Karen Luttrell

      Great point!!! Marketing is an exchange of value that leaves all parties better off than before the exchange. As a marketer supporting the fundraisers who make face-to-face asks, it’s my job to understand the value to all parties. What I learned working with a great group of fundraisers at a Canadian women’s organization is that by connecting donors with the means to have real positive impact on the people and world around them, we are providing a valuable service to donors. Who doesn’t want to change the world for the better? But it takes more than money. It takes money and specific program expertise and connections to the right partner organizations and knowledge of the populations that most need the hand up and so on. Fundraisers are offering all of that to donors, and it’s very valuable! That’s the core value you can offer your donors, and then benefits such as recognition, and PR for corporate sponsors, can be the icing on the cake.

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    The future of fundraising is not about social media, online video, or SEM. It’s not about any technology, medium, or technique. It’s about donors. If you need to raise funds from donors, you need to study them, respect them, and build everything you do around them. And the future? It’s already here. More.

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    Jeff BrooksJeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 35 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you’ll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com. More.

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    The future of fundraising is not about social media, online video, or SEM. It’s not about any technology, medium, or technique. It’s about donors. If you need to raise funds from donors, you need to study them, respect them, and build everything you do around them. And the future? It’s already here. More.

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    About the blogger

    Jeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 30 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you’ll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com.